Apparatus for demonstrating toys.



4 B. F. BAIN'. APPARATUS FOR DEMONSTRATING TOYS.

APPL| CAT|0N FILED JUNE 28, I915.

Patented May 9, 1916.

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FIG-1 INVENTOR 50 I to an arm 6 each pivoted on a horizontal axis to the swlngingframe 2. The arm w en strains rarnr anion.

BENJnMINr. BAIN, or rrrrsnunsn, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS rose nnivrcNsrnerrNe TOYS,

Application filed June 28, 1915. Serial No. 36,802.

To all whom it may concern .7

Be it known that l, BENJAMIN F. BAIN, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvanimhave invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Demonstrating. Toys, of which the followingis aspecification. I This invention relates "to display apparatus, and particularly to apparatus for displaying and operating toys. 1

The object of the invention is to provide simple apparatus for displaying a gravity operated toy in operation, for use in "show windows of department stores, on demonstrating tables, or in any other place where it is desired to operate a toy of this kind continuously and uninterruptedlyfor an extended period.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed. I

In the drawings, Figure 1 is anelevation,

partly in section, illustrating one form of apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 2

is a detail sectional elevation illustrating a modification; and Fig. 3 1s a detall sectional elevation, on a larger scale, of the device shown in Fig. 1. o v

The invention may be applied for displaying and operating any kind of a gravity oper: ated toy controlled or operated by comparatively finely divided material, such as small shot, sand or the like. In the drawings, the invention has been shown applied for dis playing and operating a sand operated toy of the same general type shown in my prior application for mechanical toy, Serial No. 2556, filed January 6, 1915, although it may also be used for displaying and operating toys of the kind shown in the patents to Mahan and vMoran, 911,602, February 9, 1909, and Martinand lVallace,995,5t6, June 20, 1911, or any other sand toy. The toy shown comprises a suitable rigid frame 1 to. which is connected a swinging frame 2 oscillating about a vertical axis through the center of a drum or winding sheave 3 around which are wound in opposite directions flexible supporting members 4 connected one to an arm 5 and the other carries a counterweight 7 and the arm 6 a receiver or car 8 for the sand or other finely divided operating material. This material is fed into the receiver from a hopper 9: on the Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenrerrna e, 1916.

fixed frame having a gate or valve 10 operated by the car or some part moving therewith. tion, as illustrated, it opens the gate and a sufiicient quantity of material flows into the car to carry it by gravity to dumping position by moving the swinging frame about its vertical axis, the car simultaneously descending so that its motion isin a descendrestore to the hopper 9 the sand or other operating. material delivered into the receiver 11. The hopper 9 is usually of comparatively small capacity so that it will produce only a small number of reciprocations of the car, the purposebeing to stimulate the interest of the child by compelling him to load the hopper at frequent intervals. With my improved apparatus suitable means is When the car reaches loading posi- 1 provided'for maintaining over an extended period, say several hours, a practically constant supply of operating material in the hopper 9, so that the supply in said hopper does not have to be replenished except at very infrequent intervals. In the form shown i a large storage supply of sand or other operating material is placed in a comparatively large supply bin 15, which can be made of anysuitable material and in any form and is shown as a metal. receptacle having a cylindrical upper portion 16 and a conical bottom 17. This receptacle is large enough to hold a supply of material suliicient to opers ate a toy for several hours. Said bin isprovided with a bottom outlet'for the sand, shown in Fig. 1 as a pipeor conduit 18 lo- I cated at the extreme bottom of the bin and inclined downwardly therefrom at an angle of about 45 degrees, which is substantially the angle of natural flow of dry sand. This bin is supported so that the lower end of the conduit 18 is at or near the upper level. of the hopper 9 of the toy. The sand flows from the bin into the hopper and piles" up intoarched form, as at 1 9, with the lower lower end of the pipe 18 is not quite fully immersed in the pile of sand, which packs up at the opening when the hopper 9 is full until the sand therein lowers, when more sand runs out of the conduit into the hopper.

It is usually best to place the toy on a table or support Where it can be more easily inspected, such a table being shown at 20. For this reason the bin 15 is preferably mounted on a tall standard or pedestal 21 provided with a base 22 which may rest on the table 20 but'is shown as resting on the The sand delivered into the receiver 11 may be collected in anysuitable manner, and as shown said receiver is a sheet metal pan or dish havinga bottom outlet pipe 23 passing through a hole in the table 20, so that the sand in said receptacle runs out into some suitable vessel, such as the large pail or bucket 24 located beneath the table. This bucket may be incl'osed or concealed by draping the sides of the table with any suitable hangings or curtains (not shown) and the bin 15 and its support may likewise be concealed by curtains or a wall through which the pipe or conduit 18 passes. A convenient way of constructing the support for the bin is bymaking the pedestal 21 of ordinary threaded pipe screwed into an angle,

fitting 26 to which the pipe 18' is attached.

The upper end of the pipe 21is preferably plugged, as at 27, to prevent the material from escaping therethrough. This arrangement permits the bin to be readily detached from the pedestal for packing, shipping or storing.

The member for delivering the operating material from the bin into thetoy hopper need not be a cylindrical pipe, as in Fig.1. Fig. 2' shows an equivalent apparatus in which the bin 15 is of rectangular shape with an inclined bottom 17 provided with a mouth 25 openinginto a conduit 18 in the form of an inclined trough whose lower end terminates at the upper level of material in the hopper; When the hopper is full the material therein otters sufficient resistance to hold back the material in the trough and preventit from flowing downwardly or laterally over the sides of the trough. The material in the trough also chokes up the mouth 25 so as to hold back that in the bin 15. However, whenthe level of the material in the hopper lowers more material flows-into the trough and from the trough into the hopper to replace that withdrawn. The apparatus described is very simple and: can'beused for operating over an extensive period any kind of automatic toy operated by sand, fine shot or other similar material. It can be used in show windows oi department stores or on the demonstrating tables in the sales department. Any suitable table or support may be used for the toy, it being only necessary to bore a hole thereinthrough which the sand may run into the receiving bucket.

What I claim is:-

1. Apparatus for displaying toys, comprising a toy embodying a movable member for receiving and discharging operating material, a container for said material arranged to deliver loads of material tothe movable member, and means for returning the movable member to loading position, in combination with a supply bin having several times the capacity of said container and provided with a feeding conduit leading to said container and arranged to maintain a supply of operating material therein.

2. Apparatus for displaying toys, comprising a toy embodying a movable member for receiving and discharging operating materlal, a container for said materlal arranged to dehver loads of material to the movable member, and meansior returning 7 the movable member to loading. position in I combination with a supply bin having several times the capacity. of said container, and located above and at one side'of said container, said bin being provided with a ranged to deliver loads of material to. the

movable member, means for returning the movable member to loading position, in combination with a supply bin having several times the capacity of said container and provided with a feeding conduit leading to saidacontainer and arranged to maintain a supply of operating material therein, and a receiver for the operating material discharged by said toy having a capacity apdownwardly inclined-feeding pipe orcondu t leading to said contalner and whose proximately equal to the capacity of said bin.

Apparatus for displaying toys, comprising a toy embodylng a movable member for receiving and discharging operating material, a container for. said material arranged to deliver loads of material to the movable member, means for returningthe movable member to loading posltlon in combination with a supply bin having several times the capacity of; said container, and located above-and at one side of said container, said bin being provided with a capacity approximately equal to the cadownwardly inclined feeding pipe or conpacity of said bin. 10 duit leading to said container and whose In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set lower end lies within said container and be my hand.

5 low its upper edge, whereby said bin main- BENJAMIN F. BAIN.

tains a supply of operating material in said Witnesses: container, and a receiver for the operating ELBERT L. HYDE, material discharged by said toy having a GLENN H. LERESGHE.

' Copies of this patent niay be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents.

. Washington, D. G. I 

